CBI opposes bail pleas of Mecca Masjid blast accused

Hyderabad: The CBI on Friday opposed the bail
pleas of two accused in the 2007 Mecca Masjid bomb blasts
saying that the case was "sensitive" and there was a
possibility of "communal clashes" if the duo were released.

Arguing against the bail applications of the two accused,
Devendra Gupta and Lokesh Sharma, CBI senior public prosecutor
T V Ramana told the XIV Additional Chief Metropolitan
Magistrate Court here that the duo, allegedly having links
with a right-wing Hindu outfit, carried out blast at the Mecca
Masjid and targeted a particular community.
"It`s a sensitive case wherein the accused along with two
others who are presently on the run hatched a conspiracy to
target a particular community by placing bombs at their
religious places killing several persons," the CBI counsel
said.

"A decision on granting bail should be done after taking
into consideration the society`s interest first rather than
based on individual pleas," Ramana requested the court and
expressed his apprehension that if the duo were enlarged on
bail it may lead to "communal" clashes.

The investigations into the case were still on and the
central probe agency was likely to make more arrests in the
case and if Gupta and Sharma are released on bail it may
further create problems in arresting the absconding accused,
Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kaslangra, he said.

Earlier, the defense counsel Ramchander contended that
the CBI had not filed a chargesheet so far in the Mecca Masjid
case and that his clients were under judicial custody since
June 17.

After hearing the arguments, the judge posted the matter
for orders to November 15.

Gupta and Sharma, who are among the five persons who have
been named as accused in the chargesheet filed by Rajasthan
ATS in the 2007 Ajmer blast case last month, are presently
under judicial custody here in connection with the Mecca
Masjid blast.
A cell phone-triggered pipe bomb placed inside the Mecca
Masjid here during Friday prayers on May 18, 2007 had claimed
nine lives. Five people were killed in police firing in the
clashes that erupted after the blast.

CBI brought Gupta and Sharma to Hyderabad on June 17 this
year as part of the investigation in the Mecca Masjid blast
case.

Meanwhile, the investigating agency also filed a memo in
the court for clubbing of the blast case and recovery of an
unexploded bomb from the Masjid premises.